Oct 17, 2015

It has been awhile since I've last been up to Genting, eight years back to be exact. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the hustle and bustle and excitement of being part of the city-that-never-sleeps, the Asian version, but apart from enjoying starbucks amidst the chilled breeze - what the non-gamblers typically do - there's really nothing else that attracts me up there, hence the prolonged departure.

That eventful morning, my ride from town to Genting was a relatively traffic-free one. It was a short one hour ride before I arrived at the peak of Genting, slightly before lunch time. The chilled breeze that ensued was an amazing change to the haze ridden skyline in town. That itself, was a mood-lifter already.

Together with a handful of bloggers, we were ushered immediately to our first designated venue, the Imperial Rama, a Thai-Chinese fine dining restaurant, located at Level 2, Maxim.

Imperial Rama

The 6-course degustation menu that you're about to see shortly, are priced at RM338.00 (without wine-pairing) and RM468.00 (with wine-pairing). More details of the MIGF Menu Here.

Thanks to Executive Chef Andy for hosting and entertaining us with his hilarious antics that busy afternoon.

First up, we had Crystal Prawn for appetizer. Dressed elegantly with delicate pops of roe, asparagus, avocado and tuna roll, and an edible charcoal slice. Each with its own distinct flavor and texture elements, but paired very well together. The crystal prawn was fantastic - bouncy and succulent. Can I get another one please?

Next, Double Boiled Abalone and Dried Maca Chicken Soup, fit for a king. A humungous South African abalone tucked together with scallops, mushroom, geiji, pork chunks and free range chicken. The most interesting part of this soup however, would be the exquisite use of Dried Maca, known for its miraculous nutritional values.

The Baked Golgen Pomfret was equally delightful. The fish was smooth and fresh, glazed with a barbecue-based sauce. Underneath, greens drizzled with kalamansi dressing.

I am not a huge fan of sea cucumber but none of this went to waste. The Dalian Sea Cucumber stuffed with minced prawn, pork and water chestnut filling had toothsome textures. The Taiwan Song Hua Mien in cheese sauce at the side, was an interesting match, though a little offbeat for my tastebuds if I may.

Finally for dessert, we had the Mango Puree with Birds Nest and Snow Mango Mochi. The mango puree was finely blended with ice and mango, then sprinkled with birds nest. The mochi had a delectable layer of fresh cream and mango inside.

By the time we were done eating, with bloated tummies of course, it was already close to 3pm. I decided to head back to the hotel for some rest time.

Genting feels like a maze to me. It's huge and still expanding! Soon to come - the new 20th Century Fox theme park and the Genting Factory Outlet. I guess there is something for everyone up here and I, for one, would definitely drop by again when time comes.

After countless flights of escalators and manouvering through the crowd, I finally arrived at my room.

First World Hotel

I brought mummy along for this trip and we stayed at the newly refurbished XYZ room, First World Hotel, Tower 2.

The hotel was squeaky clean but offered no view apart from the gloomy and damped alleyway connected to the abandoned building next door. Henceforth, I had no intentions to draw open the blinds throughout my stay.

The were also no toiletries offered aside from a bar of soap, shower cap and shower gel. Remember to bring your own!

Thankfully, the bed was teriffic and the sheets were cozy and snug. I didn't plan to spend a whole load of time in the room, hence all I really needed was a good bed for a great nights sleep.

Shortly after, we went out for dinner and watched the Superstars Of Magic 4, at the Genting International Showroom (GISR). Mum love these shows.

I'm usually very skeptical when it comes to watching live magic shows, half expecting the same old corny performances which I've repetitively watched on television. Whats new?

I proved myself wrong tonight.

That evening, the arena was running at full capacity. We got front row seats and boy - it was one tantalizing and mesmerising hour. I lost count of the number of times I mumbled, "How did that happen?" We applaud; We cheered; We laughed. It was a truly entertaining and magical experience. You got to see it for yourself.

We devoured some German food and drank some German beer, while being entertained by an exceptionally talented live band. It was only about 2am before we left the venue and called it a night. The walk back to my room felt like a really long one....

ITALGELato

I don't know about you - but I don't usually have ice cream for breakfast, though that's exactly what we did the next morning.

We sampled some 18 flavors of Gelato and 5 types of Sorberto, excluding the ice cream sticks that I quietly finished at one corner. We also watched an ice cream making session, where we delightedly indulged in a tub of freshly made chocolate ice cream. What better way to kickstart my day?

Things didn't go exactly as planned after that - an abrupt change due to unprecented events, which I may or may not tell you more about, probably in another writeup.

We left Genting earlier than expected, longingly and a tad disheartened but good thing though, I would have ample time to rest before the Monday blues kicked in. Notwithstanding, I had a great weekend and am definitely forward to all the excitement when the new attractions come up.